Marry Me
by xavierh
Summary: There's nothing that Paul Lahote doesn't want more then seeing Bella Swan walk down the isle in a wedding dress... even if it means that she won't be marrying him. Holiday gift to my readers and myself. AU/All Humans.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. I've made use of them for my own writing without intent of copyright infringement.**

 **A/N: Heavily inspired by 'Marry Me' and 'Die A Happy Man' by Thomas Rhett. I am making this beacuse it's holiday season and that means it's love season. It's going to be a short three-chapter story about childhood sweathearts. I love this country narrative and I hope y'all love it too!**

 **Update 21/11/18 - Realized that I uploaded an incomplete chapter. So sorry about that! The longer version is now updated.**

* * *

 **1.- .**

 _April 14, 2018._

Paul stood behind the arch of flowers. Their sweet smell was penetrating and nauseating, but at least it hid his whole body from the reception. He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and took out a little flask. It had a black leather cover that Paul took off before he opened it up and took a big gulp of the amber liquid within it. The whiskey burned the back of his throat and all the way down to his stomach, where it fell into a warm void. The nauseating smell invaded him again and for that he did another shot.

"Having fun already?" said a husky voice, that Paul recognized as Leah Clearwater's.

"Shut it, Leah," Paul managed to say under his breath. The Quileute girl had scared the shit out of him. "What do you want?"

"Just wondering, why you're out here hiding from Bella? You know, the usual," the black-haired girl shrugged, brushing a long strand of hair behind her ear. "She's been looking for you."

"I am just not in the best mood to see her, that's all," Paul mumbled while scrambling in his place. Hands in pockets and eyes on the floor, Paul wasn't going to face Leah just then.

"So, that's why you've been doing shots behind Alice's monster-like flower tower?" She asked in the most nonchalant way she could have. Leah changed the weight of her body from one leg to another, telling the guy that she was expecting an immediate answer.

"Who?" was all the guy asked, hoping to redirect the conversation away from his drinking.

"Edward's sister," Leah explained. "She… well, uhm. She organized the wedding, although I am not sure who she organized it for."

"I could tell the lilies weren't Bella's idea…" Paul sighed.

"She likes magnolias," they both said in unison.

"Talk about best friends, huh?" Leah chuckled. "It's creepy how well we know her."

"Yeah, creepy," Paul mumbled. He finally raised his eyes from the floor and got a good look at Leah.

She looked as beautiful as ever. Her toned body was dressed in a two-piece burgundy dress that hugged her curves and showed her tanned middle section. At the bottom of her long legs, a pair of white stilettos popped to the eyes. She was beautiful, stunning, hot even – so, why couldn't he fall for her? It would've been so much less painful to have fallen for Leah. There was never any hope there, although that always made him wonder if there was any hope with Bella anyway.

"You're beautiful, Lee," Paul smiled, sad and beaten.

"You're looking rather gloomy yourself, Lahote," Leah gave him a sad and crooked smile that said it all. She knew, she understood, and yet she could do nothing to help. "You should put yourself together, before Bella or anyone else can see you. Sam's not going to like one bit to see you sulking. He'll think it's about Emily."

"I wish it was," he lamented in return.

"C'mon, let me fix your tie," his friend said, approaching him. "You'll want to look good for her."

Leah was about as tall as he was. Their eyes met, and that made Paul a little less sad, which lead to a lazy chuckle. He let Leah do and undo. Her warm hands redid his tie and put his jacket and everything in place. She let out a sigh and then drew a warm smile, meant to comfort Paul for a moment before he had to head into the room. Leah then took Paul's flask and shoved it into his inner pocket, before taking him by his hand and dragging him inside.

The whole room had been decorated by lilies and flowers of all kinds, all in the color white. The sweet smell flooded Paul's nose and triggered his gag reflex, although he managed to keep the alcohol in his stomach. Soon, the laughs and conversation that flooded the room became a murmur. Paul lowered his head, not wanting to be seen at all, knowing he couldn't avoid it. Leah tugged his hand a little more while they were walking. It felt like an eternity, but they finally reached the other extreme of the room. In a big throne-like chair, Bella was sitting, while a group of majestically beautiful white women surrounded her.

"Paul?" was the first thing he heard. A question loaded with happiness and surprise, more than anger, which was the one he expected. Paul raised his head to find the pools of chocolate he had been dreading to see – Bella's eyes always made him feel like they saw into his very soul. "Paul Lahote?"

"Hey, Bells," he whispered with a half-smile that made several hearts flutter.

The brunette jumped from her seat and into the guy's arms. She was petite already – not tiny, because she disliked being called tiny – and she had lost enough weight that Paul felt like she was a feather between his fingers. He wondered when she lost all that weight, before burying his face in the nook between her ear and neck, taking in the scent of her signature strawberry shampoo and letting himself melt into a familiar hug. Bella had her arms tight around his ribcage, although it really wasn't tight enough for Paul to feel anything but the slight pressure of her hands finding the perfect spot on his back. She giggled and backed away, leaving Paul craving for more.

"It's so good to see you!" She let out a nervous laugh, and s sigh that indicated excitement. Suddenly, her cheeks blushed in a light pink – happy pink.

"It's good to see you too, Bells," Paul replied, not having realized that he was smiling ear to ear. "Thanks for the invite."

"Oh, I wouldn't have dared to do all this and not have _you_ here," she mentioned, and it send a painful throb into Paul's heart. Did she know what this was doing to him?

"I wouldn't have missed it," he mumbled.

He was about to get lost in Bella's eyes for a second time, when Leah cleared her throat, letting his know that there were still people around. Paul nodded and stepped back, getting a clearer view of Bella. She was wearing a light blue sun dress, and her hair had been curled to compliment her heart-shaped face and doe-like features. She was wearing some makeup, but nothing to extravagant. She didn't look like Bella from almost three years prior.

"Paul, these are Edward's sisters and cousins," Leah explained, bringing him out of his trance. "You've met Rose, and this is Alice – Edward's other sister. These are Kate, Irina, Tanya, and Carmen – his cousins."

"Pleased to meet you, ladies," Paul turned to all of them with a smile, and some even took their hands to their hearts.

"Pleased to meet _you_ ," said one of the very white, very blond ones. Paul recognized her as Tanya. "You single, cowboy?" she winked at him playfully, which made some of the women giggle, especially Leah.

"I'm afraid I'm not looking, but thanks," Paul drew and awkward smile, looking for a way out. His eyes met Leah's, as she tried not to snort a laugh out.

"Well, let me know when you are," Tanya smiled, revealing her perfect white teeth. Paul gulped.

"Okay, Tanya, thanks," Bella interrupted, uncomfortable and amused.

The group broke into giggles while Bella took Paul by his arm and pulled him away. Leah followed closely behind, still with a smile plastered with satisfaction on her face. Bella's light blush turned into a red shade that Paul positively identified as shame. He could say he knew all the colors and all the ways Bella blushed for different reasons. This one in particular was about weird in-laws.

"Don't mind her," she said, while stopping next to the refreshments table. "She's always like that. She isn't even Edward's real cousin – their families are all just close because they are all adopted. She's just trying to tease some people here and there. I can't even believe Edward had a crush on her a few years back."

"Uh-huh," Leah chuckled. "That girl needs to step on her breaks, like _hard_ ," she now laughed a little bit more freely.

"I'm fine," Paul laughed.

"Hey," Bella said.

"Hey," he replied with a smile.

"Missed you."

"Missed you more."

"I also missed you," Leah added with an amused tone.

Bella and Paul broke into laughter.

"Oh, there you are!" A velvet voice popped their bubble, annoying Paul.

"Edward!" Bella said with excitement, before turning and clinging onto her fiancé's neck.

Paul hinged and looked away, being painfully reminded that it was _he_ who Bella was marrying. He stepped aside to let the couple settle, while Leah watched in discomfort as she noticed Paul going back into his shell once more.

"Paul, this is Edward, my fiancé," Bella introduced them after their little display of affection was over.

"Paul Lahote, I've heard so much of you," Edward said in a low voice, with a perfect smile that mirrored that one of his adoptive cousins and sisters. "Bella only has good memories of you – and Leah, of course," he added for the Quileute girl, who replied with a polite smile.

"Heard a lot of you too," Paul smiled politely, mirroring Leah. "Congrats."

"Thank you," Edward said, and then looked at Bella next to him. "Love, what about we go say hi to my uncle Aro? He's with his siblings, Caius and Marcus. They'll be thrilled to meet you."

Bella gave Leah and Paul an apologetic look. "I have to go, but why don't you wait around, and we will talk?"

Paul nodded, and Leah did about the same. The couple left holding hands while Leah and Paul just looked at them leave. Paul let out a sigh and clenched his fists.

"Are you going to tell her?" Leah asked in a whisper.

"And ruin her big day?" Paul gave her a pained look. "Never. This is what she's been waiting for. What she really wants. I can't give it to her. I am not going to be the reason her wedding doesn't go well."

"You never know…"

"No, Leah. I know," Paul sighed. "I had my chance, and I didn't take it. I am not going to sit here and pretend that I'm the victim here. This is what she wants, and I am going to respect it."

"That's nice of you to say," Leah said back, after a moment of silence.

"No, I'm not being nice – I'm just being about as decent of a person as I should be." Paul mumbled, before pulling out his flask and having another shot of shitty whiskey.

* * *

 _14th of December 2010._

 _The horn blasted a second before the clock marked the end of the game. Paul was in shock while his team had already surrounded him and half-way up, he let out a victorious scream, putting one fist up in the air while the crowd cheered him on. He had scored with ten seconds on the clock and they had made it. They had won the State Championship. The season was over. The cold crept in a little, hitting his sweaty face and giving him a good kick of natural adrenaline. Still on top of his teammates' shoulders, his eyes wandered across the bleachers, looking for a specific brunette with big brown eyes._

 _"YOU WON!" Bella screamed, making him notice her at the very front, being crushed by the others who had come down to take a good look. "PAUL!"_

 _Paul raised a hand and waved in her direction, making sure she understood he had heard her. Bella answered with a laugh and signaled to him that she was going to leave. She blew a kiss his way, one thing she had done always to him and only him. Paul took a second to react, before he frantically asked all the guys to let him down. It took a good minute but between laughs and jokes the finally put him on the floor. Paul sprinted without letting anyone else know what was going on and avoided anyone that tried to make conversation or congratulate him on the way. He panicked, when he reached the parking lot across the school, and there wasn't a sign of his friend._

 _"Thought I would leave without congratulating you properly first?" someone asked from behind him._

 _Paul didn't need to check first - it was Bella. Without aiming for it, he just turned on his heels and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up into a massive hug. Bella laughed out loud and wrapped her arms around his shoulders._

 _"Hey," he murmured, drawing the perfect smile on his face._

 _"Hey," she murmured back, mirroring his smile. Her face was just inches away from Paul's._

 _"Hey love birds, everyone's out to Cora's, y'all coming?" it was Leah's voice that interrupted._

 _"Coming," she said too quickly, leaving Paul disappointed. "Let's go, I'm paying."_

 _Bella pushed herself away and landed on her two feet, something rather uncommon. She pulled from Paul's hand playfully, and he pretended to be glued to the ground, which made the brunette pout. He wanted to stay, but then a quick glance at his other friend, who was still standing by, made him self-conscious. Finally letting go, he walked both girls to their respective cars, with Bella going first and then Leah._

 _"Don't," the girl said before going into her car._

 _"Don't what?" he asked, dumbfounded._

 _"It's gonna break your heart," Leah said with a sigh, before entering her car. "It's not going to end well."_

 _"What do you know?"_

 _"The question is, my friend, what **don't**_ _I know?" Leah closed the door on his face and started his car._

 _Paul cussed under his breath before walking back towards the field, so that he could take his things and rush to Cora's Diner._

 _Paul arrived 30 minutes after he had parted ways with both his friends. He had quickly showered and gone into his letterman jacket, thinking he looked really good in that, and was anxious as to how would Bella react now that he had won State Championship. His eyes located her in a booth inside, sitting across Mike Newton. Paul frowned, and his hands went into fists inside his pockets. Mike had a horrible rep, and Paul didn't specially like that he was making Bella laugh out loud. He rushed inside, making his way between people that congratulated him on that last-minute wonder he did. But he didn't care. He needed to get to Bella first._

 _"Well, someone's late," Bella mentioned while Paul made his way to her table right after crossing the front door. "Like the jacket."_

 _"They interviewed us, and I guessed it wouldn't hurt to use it" Paul said with a smirk, before sitting down in a booth next to her. Shoulder to shoulder, she didn't more to have more space, although she could've. "What did you get me?"_

 _"Shake and fries, just like you like it," Bella grinned, and Paul felt the impulse to lean in to kiss her, but he wouldn't. Not in front of his team and half the school present._

 _"So, where's Newton?" Paul asked directly. He itched to know._

 _"Mike?" Bella asked, realizing that he wasn't there anymore. "He came to talk a little. He invited me to the winter formal."_

 _Paul's soul sank to the bottom of his feet. He gulped before he looked at the girl, afraid to know the answer. "And?"_

 _"I said no, of course," she replied, with a half-smile._

 _"No?" Paul tried his best to sound surprised and not relieved._

 _"Yeah, no."_

 _"Why, though?" Paul smugly passed his arm behind her, putting it on the back of the booth seat. It was normal, organic, and he didn't notice that when he did it, the distance between their faces shortened more than a few inches._

 _"Well…" Bella had started to turn red. He couldn't tell why. "I'm not about to date some small-town boy right before I go to college. I want to get out of this god-awful town, really."_

 _"No dating? With anyone?" Paul's soul was now under 2000 tons of nervousness._

 _"Not one person here could make me want to them," Ouch, he thought. "If I do, I would end up here forever. I don't want that."_

 _Paul wanted to stay there, in Forks. Her comments hurt, and he wasn't brave enough to come forward and say that if she didn't want to, he wouldn't either. But he was a coward and remained quiet._

 _"I see," he mumbled._

 _"Hey there, Mr. I-Won-State-Championship," Leah interrupted yet again. "How's it going?"_

 _"If you must know, I'm starving, dear Leah," Paul joked. He wanted her out of here, and if she offered to buy more food he would've succeeded._

 _"Oh, I can get a burger for you, it's on me tonight, remember?" Bella winked at him, before crawling under the table skillfully and leaving the two friends behind._

 _Paul didn't have time to ask her to stay, or to send Leah away. The taller girl slid into the booth, next to Paul. He buried his face between his hands and then let out a sigh that sounded painful._

 _"She won't have me, right? Not as long as I am tied to this place," Paul mumbled._

 _"I'm sorry, lover boy," Leah replied. "I told you,"_

 _"You did," Paul lamented before turning to see Leah. "Thanks, Lee."_

 _"Don't thank me," Leah said. "C'mon, let me hug you. You look awful."_

 _"Sam will get jealous," Paul joked._

 _"Sam will understand," Leah smiled and put out her arms._

 _"What will Sam understand?" Bella's voice asked when Paul had just gone in for the hug. He quickly let go, before turning to see Bella._

 _"That Paul's in love with me," Leah joked._

 _"You wish," Paul put out his tongue._

 _"Oh, don't hide it, I bet you have your name with her last name written in some journal somewhere," Bella added onto the joke._

 _"That's it," Paul threatened playfully before he pushed Leah and himself out of the booth._

 _Bella laughed out loud and after leaving the burger on the table, she sprinted out of the diner. Paul followed suit and tried his best not to reach her before they could be completely alone. He caught her from the back, and much like their previous hug, he lifted her up into the sky while she laughed to her heart's content. Paul let her down after a couple spins and was careful as to wrap her with his arms in case she felt dizzy right after. Their eyes met, and Paul thought it was the perfect moment – he could lean in for a kiss. With their faces now only fractions of an inch from touching, he thought that his heartache, his anxiety, and everything that had stopped him before, couldn't stop him now. A fraction of the way to her lips, a chuckle made both of them raise their eyes to a tall, tanned figure coming out of a truck. Sam._

 _"Hey there, love birds."_

 _"Hey Sam," Paul said with annoyance, before looking back at Bella._

 _"I think we should go back inside," Bella said before Paul had the chance of saying anything._

 _He sighed and followed suit. Neither him or Bella mentioned the kiss the rest of the night, or the days to follow. Soon, it was graduation day and the kiss seemed long forgotten._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. I've made use of them for my own writing without intent of copyright infringement.**

 **A/N: Heavily inspired by 'Marry Me' and 'Die A Happy Man' by Thomas Rhett.**

* * *

 **Welcoming the guests now.**

 _April 14, 2018._

It wasn't a surprise for Paul that Bella didn't follow through with her promise to talk later – she was getting married after all, which meant she was busy. The rehearsal dinner started in the blink of an eye and he didn't even notice when he was already sitting next to Sam and Leah. Bella was a couple tables down, with her fiancé and their parents. Everyone was happily chatting while he looked on his phone, at nothing particularly interesting but some missed messages from his friend, Aubrey, who was housing sitting for him.

"What's so interesting?" Sam questioned, peeking at his phone screen. Paul was just typing a response to Aubrey.

"Nothing, really," Paul replied, but a ping from his phone made Sam raise an eyebrow and take the phone from his hands. The frown that was drawn on his face made Paul nervous.

"What did she say?" Paul asked.

"Seriously?" Sam said, in an angry tone. That called Leah's attention, who turned from whatever conversation she was having with another La Push girl. "You're still talking to her? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Although Sam's tone wasn't loud enough for everyone to hear, some of the people next to them were now starting to look at them. Paul frowned.

"What's going on?" Leah intervened, before her husband could make a scene.

"Paul's talking to Emily again," Sam said, matter-of-factly.

"No, I'm not," Paul argued, but Sam immediately shoved his phone to his face.

"Then, explain this."

Paul took the phone from Sam's hands and read over the text on the screen.

' _ **Ditch the wedding, I haven't seen you in forever. Let's talk.**_ **'**

 **From Emily Young, 1 minute ago**.

Paul scoffed. He looked at Sam with incredulity and then in Leah's direction, asking for help.

"I'm definitively not talking to Emily again… I don't even know how she knew I was in town," Paul defended himself, starting to type a 'get-the-hell-away-from-me' reply to Emily. "I haven't seen her face around in a long time, I swear."

"Whose face around?" questioned a voice that Paul knew too well. "What's going on you guys? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry," Leah said with a faint smile. "We're just talking about an old friend from the reservation."

Bella's eyes dropped on Paul and he just met them with a kind smile. "Sam was just jealous, as usual. He's upset that I don't text him as often as I used to."

"Hey, Pa-," Sam tried to say, before his wife's elbow sank on his ribcage.

"He's sad that his little cousin moved away all the way to California," Leah joked, trying to minimize the drama. She knew that Bella didn't like Emily either, after all. "Is he being too loud?"

"No…" Bella said hesitantly. "Not at all. I just thought your conversation seemed lively. It's been a hot second since it's been the four of us together, so I didn't want to miss out."

"Oh, it wasn't anything fun or important, I swear Bells," Paul said with an awkward tone. "You should go sit down, I promise we will all hang out like the old times. If your fiancé doesn't mind, that is," he laughed.

"Oh, Edward is okay with that," Bella said, sounding almost disappointed.

"Then it's set! Now, you should go back to Edward," Paul smiled again and was met with an awkward nod.

Bella drifted away, slowly. Leah and Paul both sighed in relief, while Sam still seemed really upset. He had shut his mouth because he knew what Bella was to his wife and cousin, but there was no way Paul would get away without talking about Emily.

"I have to step outside for a second," Paul said suddenly, drawing the eyes of the couple.

"Bella is about to say a speech," Leah reminded him.

"Just a second," he excused himself.

* * *

 _June 16_ _th_ _, 2011._

 _Paul reached out to her, thinking that it was the last time he would see her in a while and there was no harm in trying. His hand rested on her hips and his eyes met with hers. He leaned in for a kiss and was surprised when it was reciprocated. They soon found a rhythm –slow, eager, hungry, rhythm. Paul's hand found a cranny, a little spot where skin showed between her jeans and her shirt, and snuck his hand in it. He caressed her back softly, feeling how the tiny hairs in her arm crept up. She bit his lip and he groaned in acceptance._

" _I love you," she whispered against his lips._

 _Paul froze and pushed away. Her eyes started to water._

" _Emily…"_

" _You don't need to love me back," the young girl said._

" _I think it's better if you leave," Paul whispered, unable to say anything else._

" _I said, you don't need to love me back," her raspy voice implored, before he was caught between her lips again. "You can love her, just don't leave me."_

April 14th, 2018.

Paul reached into his pocket and pulled out the flask for the nth time that evening. He opened it only to realize the amber liquid was all gone. He groaned, upset, and decided it was a better idea to check on Aubrey. It wasn't too late in California and he needed a friend.

" _Hello?_ " Aubrey's soft voice said over the phone after a few rings.

"Hey."

" _What's up?_ "

"Would it be awful if I took the earliest flight back tomorrow?"

" _No, do you want me to find you one?_ " Aubrey always knew not to ask about something, and Paul silently thanked her.

"… no, no, I will give you a call tomorrow morning, sorry, I'm just out of it," Paul said.

" _That's okay! Just text me if you change your mind._ "

"I will. Is everything okay at home?" Paul asked, trying to divert his attention from his pathetic attempt at running away.

" _Yeah, Matty and I are watching a movie and tomorrow I will take him to the vet_ ," Aubrey said, and her soft smile came through in her tone. " _I'll clean your place tomorrow so it's ready when you come home. I received some documents your office send for you to sign, but those can wait until you come home. Otherwise, everything's been managed on my end._ "

"Aubrey?" Paul said with a laugh.

" _Yeah_?"

"You're the best," Paul smiled.

" _I know I am,_ " she boasted. " _Now, you should enjoy your trip, okay?_ "

"Okay, I'll see you."

" _See you, bye!_ "

Paul started long at his phone and wondered why it wasn't Aubrey who he fell in love with. She was pretty, beautiful even. The picture in her contact information was taken as a joke, but she still looked stunning. She was holding a martini and making some kind of weird face, but one could easily be drawn away by her toned figure, the lovely ebony color of her skin, or the way her lips pouted. That, and she lived in LA, worked with him, and loved his dog. There wasn't anything that could drive him away from her, and still, the one he was pining for was no other than the woman having a rehearsal dinner for her wedding.

"Paul."

"Sam… I'm not in the mood," Paul said while turning around. Leah wasn't with his cousin, so he figured Bella was already giving her speech, something he was thankful he missed.

"Was that Emily?" He asked.

"Why does everything have to be about Emily?" Paul groaned.

"Because, I know everything that you guys went through," Sam shrugged. "I'm just trying to be a good friend, to remind you what she did."

"I'm telling you man, I am not trying to get back together with her! Okay? I don't know if you realized it, but the moment she put her tongue down your throat it was game over for me," Sam flinched, but Paul still continued. "I fucking moved on, so should you! Leah forgave you, I forgave you, everyone forgave you. It was ages ago! I didn't even care that much. I was glad she was fucking gone, to be honest. Goddamnit, Sam. I never gave a single fuck – not when we got engaged, not when we broke it off, okay? Does that make you feel better?"

"Then why are you acting like this? Huh?" Sam pushed. Paul laughed, incredulous.

"How fucking _blind_ can you be, Sam? Huh? It's because of _her_. _She's_ getting married, Sam. You know how many times I dreamt of seeing her walk down the isle? _Thousands_ , and it never was like _this_. So yeah, I've been acting a little weird about it, but it's not because of mother-fucking Emily Young." Paul exploded.

Sam looked at him like Paul had just said he was Jesus Christ and converted some water into wine. Paul laughed out loud, having completely given up to his cousin's naivety.

"Bella?" Sam asked.

"Yes, Bella," Paul painfully admitted.

"I mean, you guys never… after graduation, well, I thought…"

"I thought so too." Paul said.

"Paul…" Sam said, regret showing in his face.

"Leave it, Sam. I don't want to talk about it."

"We can… we can go back inside and with Lee…"

"No. It's fine," Paul said. "I think I'm drunk, so I'll see you tomorrow at the ceremony."

"Paul."

"I said, I'll see you tomorrow, Sam."

His cousin didn't follow him out, and for the first time in a long time, Paul thought that Sam did something good for him.

* * *

 _December 21_ _st_ _, 2014._

" _He proposed!" Emily announced to everyone._

 _There was an awkward silence in the living room, where everyone had gathered. Paul's father was the first one to let out a happy chuckle and hug the girl. Sam's parents were next in line, but both Leah and Sam remained silent. Leah's face gave away how upset she felt, but Paul guessed it was because of a fight with her boyfriend. On the other hand, Sam's face had gone pale._

…

 _December 24_ _th_ _, 2014._

" _She cheated! She slept with Sam!" Leah screamed at the top of her lungs._

 _Paul found himself dumbfounded. He registered what Leah had said, and still, it didn't make sense. Emily cheated. Emily cheated with Sam. Paul proposed to Emily. Sam and Leah were married. They had cheated._

" _Wha-What?" Was all he managed to say._

" _They are sleeping together. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I never thought you would propose. I'm so sorry," Leah cried._

 _They had cheated. Leah was crying. They had cheated and yet… Paul did not feel a thing._

…

 _January 3_ _rd_ _, 2015._

 _Paul broke it off, of course. It was a widespread breakup, too. Forks heard that Paul proposed to Emily Young on a Monday and that by Friday, it was no more. Many people avoided the topic. Emily moved out of her house in La Push and went back to her home in the Makah reservation. Paul didn't talk about what had happened with anyone but Leah. They stablished some status quo, and that made them happy._

" _He said he was convinced I was having a thing with Jacob Black," Leah admitted._

" _Billy Black's son?" Paul asked._

" _He once fixed my truck," Leah explained._

" _Bullshit," Paul spat. "Are you going to forgive him?"_

" _I already did."_

" _Lee?"_

" _I_ _ **love**_ _him, Paul. If I leave him, wouldn't she win anyways?" Leah asked, frustrated. "She can't break our hearts and keep him. Sam's_ _ **mine**_ _. He's my husband."_

 _Tears came down her face and the only thing Paul could do was to hug her._

…

 _January 6_ _th_ _, 2015._

" _Are you going to answer?" Leah asked, curious. Paul's phone had been ringing for a while._

" _She's the last person I want to talk to about this," Paul muttered._

" _She just wants to see if you're okay," Leah frowned._

" _I'm fine, Lee," Paul pushed back the tears. "This has nothing to do with her."_

* * *

April 15th, 2018.

The place was majestic. The house was glass all around, and the backyard was decorated like in fairytale books. Paul thought the whole wedding was like out of a magazine, and yet he didn't imagine Bella being the bride of the wedding. He pictured Edward's sisters, heck, even his cousins, but not Bella. There was so much disconnect from the woman he loved and the woman that was getting married. Paul wondered if his wedding would've been like if Emily hadn't cheated. What his wedding would've been like if he had kissed Bella that December day. The day he told her he was going to stay in Washington. The day he left for college. What would've been of him if he had kissed Bella at every chance he had.

He saw the bride's side. It was considerably smaller than that of the groom – there were just enough chairs for Charlie, Renee, her husband, himself, Leah, Sam, and a few people that didn't amount to a quarter of Edward's guests. His side was full of adoptive family and what Paul guessed were coworkers. Both his parents were extremely wealthy, so it made sense that it was like that. Edward's pixie-looking sister, Alice, was guiding everyone to their seats, but there were still a few people missing.

Paul suddenly felt this itch. He could sneak away, find Bella, be the first man to see her in her wedding dress. Charlie was conversing with Renee and Phil, so there was still time, he suspected. He would find her and tell her his feelings. He would be freed from the pain of seeing her get married, at least it would give him an excuse. But he couldn't do that. Not to Bella. Not this day. Leah and Sam had yet to appear, so he had time to sneak out. Nobody would go looking for him with the ceremony about to begin. It was for the best.

* * *

 _May 12_ _th_ _, 2011._

 _Paul sat there, looking at First Beach like it was the last time he was going to see it. The rain had drenched him, but that didn't bother him. The waves crashed silently at his feet and the sky was finally clearing up. Everybody had taken refuge back their cars, but him and a brunette girl. She sat behind Paul on a fallen tree, where he didn't see her. Bella Swan was waiting for the right moment to go sit next to him, ask what was bothering him, and possibly try to fix it for him._

 _For the last few weeks of school, Paul had been aloof. They were once joined by the hip, the best of friends, until they weren't. Then prom and graduation came around and they were suddenly strangers. Bella waited for them to join Leah and Sam, like they had done for many dances before, but was surprised to discover that Paul made Emily Young his date. Emily was beautiful and did not go to their school. Bella vaguely knew her as Leah's second cousin and friend, but she never expected Emily to be close to Paul. In Bella's perspective, the only two girls he ever bothered with were herself and Leah. So, when they showed up hand in hand to prom, Bella felt a little embarrassed of such cocky thoughts. Now, she just wanted to mend things before going away for college. Both her and Paul would be attending Dartmouth in the Fall, after all._

" _Paul!" A voice said, although not Bella's._

" _Lee," Paul said, noticing his friend walking over to him._

 _Neither noticed Bella. The brunette felt awkward, but didn't move an inch. They were all friends, so there was nothing to hide, right? Still, she was unable to make them aware of her presence._

" _Have you told her?" She said, sitting next to him._

" _No."_

" _Are you going to tell her?"_

" _I will, I'm just… waiting for the right moment."_

" _And that is?"_

" _I don't know, when she's in Hanover and I'm not?"_

 _Bella wanted to gasp, but she couldn't. She couldn't move her body, and yet she wanted to ask Paul why he wasn't going to be with her._

" _Not cool, Paul."_

" _Well, she's the one that got this whole idea in her head, no? That I was going to follow her around everywhere, that we would always be together."_

 _Bella felt her heart sink. She wanted to tell him that whatever impression he had of her, it was wrong. That it was her who needed him. That the one who would follow the other one was always her. Still, no words came out of her mouth._

" _And you don't want that?" Leah asked._

" _I don't want to have her tied to me all the time, no."_

 _Bella had heard enough. She didn't need much more. She knew what Paul thought of her and she didn't want any more of it. It hurt, a lot. The brunette left the place, pretending like she heard nothing._

" _Paul?" Leah asked, still unaware they had been heard._

" _It's just… my old man is so proud, Lee. I was recruited, they_ _ **believed**_ _in me. I want to follow her, but I can't, and I'm afraid she'll still leave me behind if I don't," Paul sounded desperate, and that hurt Leah's heart. "I'm okay with staying in this place, but she isn't and I'm not ready to be rejected like this. She's ready to leave me behind whether I want it or not. I love her, and I can't do a damn thing about it but to let her go."_

* * *

April 15th, 2018.

Bella came back to reality. Her ears were buzzing and the place had fallen silent. There were tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Edward implored. "I'm so sorry."

"Edward?" Bella's voice broke. "Edward?"

"I love her, Bella," Edward cried. "I love her more than I love anything in the world. I am so sorry."

In front of her, Edward and Tanya were holding hands. All the guests were taken aback and nobody had said anything but her and Edward. Tanya wore this shameful look in her eyes, obviously troubled by Edward's confession, but still full of love for him. Edward was the same. Bella didn't understand what was going on because, well, it didn't hurt. In fact, it was sort of relieving. Bella didn't have to stay with Edward, the man that she promised to love all her life, and yet it was more calming than hurtful.

Bella glanced at the audience, wondering who would say something. Wondering if Charlie would jump and punch Edward, if Paul would come, grab her by her hand, and sweep her away. But Charlie was as shocked as she was, and Paul was nowhere to be seen. Leah and Sam were there, but Paul was not. He was gone, and that hurt Bella more than anything. More than Edward stating that he would marry Tanya and not her. Significantly much more than that.

"I… I have to go." Bella said, frantic.

The moment she started running outside, everyone started a commotion. People were screaming behind her; some fighting Edward, some trying to bring her back. She looked for the keys to her truck or any truck; she wanted to get out fo there quickly, before anyone convinced her of doing otherwise.

"You can take my car," a voice said from behind.

Leah was standing with a set of keys. Charlie and Renee were behind her, looking disheartened. Bella gave them an apologetic look and took Leah's keys. She wasn't sure where she was headed, nor what she was going to do, but at least she wanted to get away. Far, far away. Or maybe, Cora's away. She didn't know exactly why, but she felt like she needed to go. Maybe it was because it reminded her of Paul, maybe because she needed an extra strong cup of coffee. Either way, it was a better option than anything else.

Once there, the brunette walked across the parking lot, caring very little for the expensive dress she was ruining. She cared very little about everything that had just happened, and yet, her mind was going at 100mph and it wouldn't stop replaying the whole event over and over: _Edward and Tanya. Paul. Car. Cora's. Edward and Tanya. Paul. Car. Cora's. Edward and Tanya. Paul. Car. Cora's. Paul._ _ **Paul**_ _?_

Bella stood there, frozen. From the inside of Cora's, Paul was looking at her. His black suit still on, a cup of coffee in hand, and tears and surprise flooding his face. Bella didn't notice when she started crying, but once she did all she did was shrug. She then cried more, until Paul ran outside and got her in his arms.

"I love you," he said, as she continued to cry. "I love you."


End file.
